Bethlehem Celebrates Christmas, Ignores Ongoing Gaza War AP Calls 'Past'
AP's recent dispatch from Bethlehem paints a cheerful picture, noting the 'return' of the giant Christmas tree and celebrating 'a much-needed boost of Christmas spirit after two years of war-tinged somber celebrations.' The report suggests the 'Israel-Hamas war' is a thing of the past, even as daily reports from Gaza detail ongoing bombardment, starvation, and a complete lack of basic necessities
for millions. It appears the AP's definition of 'over' differs considerably from the reality on the ground for over two hundred thousand Palestinians still displaced and struggling to survive. While Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, called for 'a Christmas full of light' and visited Gaza's 'tiny Christian community,' one might ponder if this light extends to the thousands of
children orphaned, families incinerated, or the entire Christian community in Gaza which is now facing ruin. The narrative of past 'muted celebrations' conveniently overlooks the ongoing, very loud silence forced upon Gaza's population — a silence punctuated only by the cries of the injured and the rumble of collapsing buildings. The 'Christmas spirit' seems to arrive with a selective memory,
carefully forgetting the continuing siege, and the millions whose lives remain actively extinguished, not just 'war-tinged.'